While there are countless brands of matcha available that claim to be “premium top quality matcha” you’ll want to check their tests and certifications. Many of the matcha products available on the market are made from poor quality leaves and contaminated by lead. Our matcha is made from 100% USDA certified organic green tea leaves sourced from the finest tea plantations in Japan. We also have our matcha tested by a third-party lab for product quality and purity, so you can be sure you’re not ingesting harmful chemicals. We maintain the highest standard, and all our product test results are available to the public.
Today, an estimated 2.5 million tons of tea leaves are produced each year throughout the world, with 20 percent of that being green tea. Green tea didn’t become popular or widely distributed outside of Asia until about the early 1900s. China, other countries in Asia, countries in North Africa, the United States and Europe currently consume the most green tea worldwide.
Gyokurocha: In this variety, the tea leaves are plucked from the tip of the branches. When brewed, the color is clear green. Being picked from the tip, this variety has the best taste and fragrance, and this variety is also considered the best in terms of health. Furthermore, it is less bitter, as it contains lesser tannin and caffeine since the plucked leaves are younger and still budding. The only drawback to gyokurocha is the high cost, but as we all know, truly high-quality solutions for health never come cheap! I should note that I am currently deployed and have little access to the facilities to make a great cup of tea. One of the great things about matcha however is that you need only a blender bottle and ice and you have a perfect iced matcha for the Iraq heat. Let me tell you, nothing like the grassy, subtly sweet taste to get your morning started right. PT? Matcha. Drills? Matcha. conducting a firefight with Islamic State extremists? Hasn't happened yet, but if it happened I can tell you that I would have my Hydroflask filled with this stuff and engage them with the calm energy of the vegan, philosophy major, Prius-driving, non-binary person I am.
In 1994, Burke International registered the name "Rooibos" with the US Patent and Trademark Office, thus establishing a monopoly on the name in the United States at a time when it was virtually unknown there. When the plant later entered more widespread use, Burke demanded that companies either pay fees for use of the name, or cease its use. In 2005, the American Herbal Products Association and a number of import companies succeeded in defeating the trademark through petitions and lawsuits; after losing one of the cases, Burke surrendered the name to the public domain.[13]
Shade grown: All matcha is made from shade-grown tea leaves—a labor-intensive process where tea bushes are protected from the sun and light is filtered to the bushes in a very controlled manor. Shading boosts the chlorophyll production in the plant, giving the leaves a rich green color. The lack of sun reduces the plant’s photosynthesis of the leaves, which in turn alters the naturally occurring levels of caffeine, flavanols, sugars, antioxidants, and theanine. By controlling the sun exposure, tea producers can significantly alter the chemical make-up and flavor of the final tea leaves.